A Second Chance

Prologue

                                                                              (Bilbo's P.O.V.)

 "I wish to depart from you in friendship." Thorin's words were pleading. "No, no, you're not going anywhere, Thorin. You're going to live," the hobbit replied with a resolute nod not wanting to accept the words the dwarf was saying. Bilbo was searching over his wounds now and he cursed under his breath, but Thorin continued anyways, "I take back my words to you at the gate, you did what only a true friend would do. Please, forgive me". Bilbo finally looked him in the eyes, he saw regret and, and peace. "I was too blind to see it, and I am so sorry that I have led you to such peril." Thorin let out a small cough and Bilbo could see that there was blood in his mouth. The hobbit replied quickly, trying to console him, "I am glad to have shared in your perils, Thorin. Each and every one of them. It is far more than any Baggins deserves." A small smile formed on Thorin's lips and he breathed weakly, "farewell, master burglar. Go back to your books... and your arm chair. Plant your trees....watch them grow.." Bilbo could feel his throat was clenched, he was trying not to cry.

     Thorin looked at him like he was the one who placed the stars in the sky and then he looked at him no more. Thorin's eyes looked upwards and turned glossy as his breath left him. Bilbo fell backwards, pressing his fist against his mouth to hold back the sobs that threatened to overwhelm him. A small sound escaped his throat as he sat next to his friend, legs up against his chest. He would wait, he would wait for Gandalf, Yes, Gandalf could save him. Gandalf had saved him before and Thorin woke up. Thorin will wake up. Everything will be ok, Bilbo told himself even as his body shook with sobs.

    "Thorin," he whispered, unwilling to let go, "the eagles--the eagles--" he didn't finish his sentence, instead his words just stopped leaving his mouth because of the clenching in his throat.

    If the halfling had ever truly felt half, this was that moment. The wind shushed the world in the background. His face was cold because of his tear-streaked cheeks. Bilbo felt..odd, it wasn't peace, but it came into his heart quietly and slowly Bilbo stopped crying, the warmth that Thorin was in his heart slowly leeched away.

    The feeling, it was cold. Not bitter, but it was just hardened and resigned. Bilbo sat there, cradling the dwarf's head and listening to the wind. He felt completely abandoned, his heart sank lower than it had ever been. It was then that Bilbo noticed that the wind wasn't blowing. What was that sound?

     "Shhh...." It sounded eerie, but familiar, like something that had been in the shadows the whole journey. It sounded like... "Why are you crying?" said a harsh, breathy voice. Startled out of his daze, Bilbo asked "who is that? Who's there?" No reply. "Show yourself!" Bilbo cried, too weary to play this game. He sat there not caring if it was an orc come to kill him or not. He said again, this time quietly, "who's there?" daring anything to come forth.

    "I'm right here" said the voice. "I was here the whole time, I saw what you saw... and I know what has happened." Bilbo then realized he wasn't actually hearing this, not with his ears anyways.

    The voice, if you could call it that was in his mind, he was thinking this, but these thoughts weren't his. Bilbo felt anxiety creep in, and there was a weight on his chest, he wanted to forget everything, he wanted to disappear, he wanted to--. He pulled the ring out of his pocket. He didn't realize it, but it was heavier this time. He held it hovering next to his finger, he was going to run away. He would run far far away and forget any of this happened, he would forget this damned quest and this hellish battle.

    There was that voice again, "I can make it better," it coaxed. "Make what better," the hobbit muttered dryly, thinking how crazy it was that he was talking to voices in his head. He supposed it made sense, he had heard of grief driving people mad before, maybe this was his fate.

    "I can heal his wounds and bring back his breath if you do something for me, of course." the raspy voice asserted. Bilbo was struck again by grief at those words. He looked down at the still body and the peaceful face on his lap. He could see part of the dwarf's face was already turning blue from lack of blood and was cold. His eyes slowly moved to the ring in his hand, and he stared at it with a heartless look.

    He felt warm tears run down his face, the clenching in his heart returning two fold. "What the hell," he said to himself and then to the voice, "I've gone mad, you're just in my head. So I say to myself, heal him if you can."

    "No," the voice said, Bilbo felt annoyance mix in his already stirred emotions. "I need you to say 'yes', I need you to say that you'll give me what I'm owed," The voice was now demanding loudly. Bilbo wasn't going to argue with himself, he wasn't that crazy. "Fine, yes, whatever you want, I'll give you anything."

    Bilbo thought for a second that the ring had grown heavier and was warmer, but he dismissed the thought when he heard a small sound from the form beneath him. Tucking the ring quickly in his pocket, he stared at Thorin who was breathing!

    The hobbit involuntarily gasped, and immediately went to check for the dwarf's pulse, pressing his index and middle finger on his cervical artery and putting his cheek down next to his mouth to feel any sign of life. There was a Pulse! And he was breathing as well! Thorin's face seemed to have gained a bit of color, but was still deathly pale.

    Hastily, Bilbo checked Thorin's wounds, they were gone, save for a scar where a stab wound had been. A fresh wave of tears came streaming down Bilbo's face as relief and warmth once again flooded his heart. The moment was happy, but there was a shadow cast over as he realized that the voice was real and the meaning of his promise dawned on him.

    Bilbo now wondered where Fili and Kili were, he prayed to whatever had done this that they were alive. As if on cue, Bilbo heard Fili's voice shout "Uncle!" and Fili skidded to a kneeling stop next to him, horror on his face. Kili stopped abruptly about five feet away from the scene and Bilbo could see he was holding his side where there was a stain of blood. An elf that Bilbo did not recognize was giving him her hand and steadying him. "He's well, he's alive," Bilbo said quickly, trying to conceal what had actually happened. They don't need to worry about that, there's nothing for them to do about any of this, he thought.